Tournament details | |
---|---|
Dates | Qualifying: 16–30 January 2018 Competition proper: 12 February – 10 November 2018 |
Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 46 (from 20 associations) |
Final positions | |
Champions | Kashima Antlers (1st title) |
Runners-up | Persepolis |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 126 |
Goals scored | 364 (2.89 per match) |
Attendance | 1,876,986 (14,897 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | Baghdad Bounedjah (13 goals) |
Best player(s) | Yuma Suzuki |
Fair play award | Persepolis |
← 2017 2019 → |
The 2018 AFC Champions League was the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Kashima Antlers won the title for the first time, defeating Persepolis in the final, and qualified as the AFC representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. [1]
Urawa Red Diamonds were the title holders, but they were unable to defend their title as they finished seventh in the 2017 J1 League and were eliminated in the fourth round of the 2017 Emperor's Cup, thus did not qualify for the tournament. It marked the second season in a row without title holders after Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were disqualified in 2017 as a result of their involvement in a match-fixing scandal in 2016.
The AFC Competitions Committee proposed a revamp of the AFC club competitions on 25 January 2014, [2] which was ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 16 April 2014. [3] The 46 AFC member associations (excluding the associate member Northern Mariana Islands) are ranked based on their national team's and clubs' performance over the last four years in AFC competitions, with the allocation of slots for the 2017 and 2018 editions of the AFC club competitions determined by the 2016 AFC rankings (Entry Manual Article 2.2): [4]
For the 2018 AFC Champions League, the associations are allocated slots according to their association ranking published on 30 November 2016, [5] which takes into account their performance in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup, as well as their national team's FIFA World Rankings, during the period between 2013 and 2016. [4] [6]
Participation for 2018 AFC Champions League | |
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Participating | |
Not participating |
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The following 46 teams from 20 associations entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
The schedule of the competition was as follows. [14]
Stage | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Preliminary stage | Preliminary round 1 | No draw | 16 January 2018 | |
Preliminary round 2 | 23 January 2018 | |||
Play-off stage | Play-off round | 30 January 2018 | ||
Group stage | Matchday 1 | 6 December 2017 | 12–14 February 2018 | |
Matchday 2 | 19–21 February 2018 | |||
Matchday 3 | 5–7 March 2018 | |||
Matchday 4 | 12–14 March 2018 | |||
Matchday 5 | 2–4 April 2018 | |||
Matchday 6 | 16–18 April 2018 | |||
Knockout stage | Round of 16 | 7–9 May 2018 | 14–16 May 2018 | |
Quarter-finals | 23 May 2018 | 27–29 August 2018 | 17–19 September 2018 | |
Semi-finals | 2–3 October 2018 | 23–24 October 2018 | ||
Final | 3 November 2018 | 10 November 2018 |
In the qualifying play-offs, each tie was played as a single match. Extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 9.2). The eight winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 24 direct entrants. All losers in each round from associations with only play-off slots entered the AFC Cup group stage. [1] The bracket of the qualifying play-offs for each region was determined by the AFC based on the association ranking of each team, with the team from the higher-ranked association hosting the match. Teams from the same association could not be placed into the same play-off. [15]
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Bali United ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
Shan United ![]() | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p) | ![]() |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Eastern ![]() | 2–4 | ![]() |
Muangthong United ![]() | 5–2 | ![]() |
Chiangrai United ![]() | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | ![]() |
Brisbane Roar ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Al-Ain ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
Zob Ahan ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
Al-Gharafa ![]() | 2–1 | ![]() |
Nasaf Qarshi ![]() | 5–1 | ![]() |
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
---|---|---|
Suwon Samsung Bluewings ![]() | 5–1 | ![]() |
Kashiwa Reysol ![]() | 3–0 | ![]() |
Shanghai SIPG ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
Tianjin Quanjian ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
The draw for the group stage was held on 6 December 2017, 16:30 MYT ( UTC+8 ), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . [16] [15] The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four: four groups each in the West Region (Groups A–D) and the East Region (Groups E–H). Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.In the group stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16 of the knockout stage .
Tiebreakers |
---|
The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers were applied in the following order (Regulations Article 10.5): [1]
|
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AHL | JAZ | GHA | TRA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8 [a] | 1–2 | — | 3–2 | 0–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 8 [a] | 1–1 | 2–3 | — | 3–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DUH | ZOB | LOK | WAH | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 18 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 7 [a] | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 7 [a] | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 5–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 3 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–4 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PER | SAD | NSF | WAS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 12 | 3–1 | — | 4–0 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 10 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | AIN | RAY | HIL | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 10 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 6 | 2–2 | 1–4 | — | 2–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JEO | TJQ | KSW | KIT | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 9 | +13 | 15 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 6–3 | 3–2 | 3–0 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 13 | 4–2 | — | 3–2 | 3–0 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 3 | 0–6 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SSI | ULS | MEL | KAW | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 9 | 0–1 | — | 6–2 | 2–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 16 | −5 | 8 | 2–1 | 3–3 | — | 1–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GZE | BUR | CER | JEJ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 12 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 8 | 0–0 | 2–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SSB | KAS | SYD | SSH | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | |
2 | ![]() | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 9 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||
3 | ![]() | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 6 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 0–0 | ||
4 | ![]() | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 5 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — |
In the knockout stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the teams split into the two regions until the final. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations Article 11.3). [1]
The bracket was decided after the draw for the quarter-finals, which was held on 23 May 2018, 16:00 MYT (UTC+8), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [17] [18] [19]
Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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East Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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West Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group from the same region, with the group winners hosting the second leg, and the matchups determined by the group stage draw.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Jazira ![]() | 4–4 (a) | ![]() | 3–2 | 1–2 |
Al-Sadd ![]() | 4–3 | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–2 |
Zob Ahan ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–3 |
Al-Ain ![]() | 3–8 | ![]() | 2–4 | 1–4 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tianjin Quanjian ![]() | 2–2 (a) | ![]() | 0–0 | 2–2 |
Buriram United ![]() | 3–4 | ![]() | 3–2 | 0–2 |
Ulsan Hyundai ![]() | 1–3 | ![]() | 1–0 | 0–3 |
Kashima Antlers ![]() | 4–3 | ![]() | 3–1 | 1–2 |
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 23 May 2018. [19] In the quarter-finals, the four teams from the West Region played in two ties, and the four teams from the East Region played in two ties, with the matchups and order of legs decided by draw, without any seeding or country protection.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Esteghlal ![]() | 3–5 | ![]() | 1–3 | 2–2 |
Al-Duhail ![]() | 2–3 | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–3 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kashima Antlers ![]() | 5–0 | ![]() | 2–0 | 3–0 |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ![]() | 3–3 (2–4 p) | ![]() | 0–3 | 3–0 (a.e.t.) |
In the semi-finals, the two quarter-final winners from the West Region played each other, and the two quarter-final winners from the East Region played each other, with the order of legs determined by the quarter-final draw.
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Sadd ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() | 0–1 | 1–1 |
Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kashima Antlers ![]() | 6–5 | ![]() | 3–2 | 3–3 |
In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the East Region, second leg hosted by team from the West Region) reversed from the previous season's final.
Kashima Antlers won 2–0 on aggregate.
Award | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player [20] | ![]() | ![]() |
Top Goalscorer [21] | ![]() | ![]() |
Fair Play Award | — | ![]() |
Best Goal [22] | ![]() | ![]() |
Source: [23]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Defenders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Midfielders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Forwards | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
Source: [24]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | ![]() | ![]() |
Defenders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Midfielders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Forwards | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
Source: [24]
Position | Player | Team |
---|---|---|
Goalkeeper | ![]() | ![]() |
Defenders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Midfielders | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Forwards | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | 2R1 | 2R2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F1 | F2 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | ||||||
2 | ![]() | ![]() | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||||||
![]() | ![]() | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
4 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||||||
6 | ![]() | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
9 | ![]() | ![]() | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||
![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
![]() | ![]() | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Note: Goals scored in the qualifying play-offs are not counted when determining top scorer (Regulations Article 64.4). [1]
Source: AFC [25]
Matchday | Toyota Player of the Week | |
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Player | Team | |
Group stage | ||
Matchday 1 [26] | ![]() | ![]() |
Matchday 2 [27] | ![]() | ![]() |
Matchday 3 [28] | ![]() | ![]() |
Matchday 4 [29] | ![]() | ![]() |
Matchday 5 [30] | ![]() | ![]() |
Matchday 6 [31] | ![]() | ![]() |
Knockout stage | ||
Round of 16 1st leg [32] | ![]() | ![]() |
Round of 16 2nd leg [33] | ![]() | ![]() |
Quarter-finals 1st leg [34] | ![]() | ![]() |
Quarter-finals 2nd leg [35] | ![]() | ![]() |
Semi-finals 1st leg [36] | ![]() | ![]() |
Semi-finals 2nd leg [37] | ![]() | ![]() |
Final 1st leg [38] | ![]() | ![]() |
Final 2nd leg [39] | ![]() | ![]() |
The AFC Champions League Elite is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition in Asian football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.
The 2010 AFC Cup was the seventh edition of the AFC Cup, a competition among clubs from member nations of the Asian Football Confederation.
The 2011 AFC Champions League was the 30th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 9th under the current AFC Champions League title. The winners, Al-Sadd qualified for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
The 2015 AFC Champions League was the 34th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 13th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2015 AFC Cup was the 12th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2014 AFC Champions League was the 33rd edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 12th under the current AFC Champions League title. Guangzhou Evergrande were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Western Sydney Wanderers in the quarter-finals.
The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2016 AFC Cup was the 13th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2017 AFC Cup was the 14th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2017 AFC Champions League was the 36th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 15th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2018 AFC Cup was the 15th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2019 AFC Champions League was the 38th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 17th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2019 AFC Cup was the 16th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2020 AFC Champions League was the 39th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 18th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2020 AFC Cup was an abandoned season of the AFC Cup which was the 17th edition of the competition, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2021 AFC Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The 2021 AFC Champions League was the 40th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2022 AFC Champions League was the 41st edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 20th under the current AFC Champions League title.
The 2023–24 AFC Cup was the 20th edition of the AFC Cup, Asia's secondary club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the final edition under the AFC Cup title, as the competition was revamped under the name AFC Champions League Two starting in 2024–25. This was the first AFC Cup season to have a two-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule, unlike the previous all-year-round (spring-to-autumn) schedule.
The 2023–24 AFC Champions League was the 42nd edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 21st and final under the AFC Champions League title, as the competition would be rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite starting in 2024–25.